The beginning of anything that is new can be both exciting and scaryThe 
beginning of anything new can be both exciting and scary. So to say that I was 
equally eager and anxious to start with such a foreign subject is no 
understatement. Looking over the notebook we received the first night was rather 
intimidating for this 20-year veteran.  However, the way that Judy Cunningham 
took us through the material gave me new hope and joy to be where I am in my 
career and to call myself an educator.
Throughout this course I continually thought of VISION as a road map. A guide to 
determine the important stops along a long, long, highway, where the journey is 
just as important as the destination. I have always been a realist. Not one for 
setting lofty goals, only short term targets that gets kids where they need to 
be. I put out fires on an hour-by-hour basis and there is no time for shared 
vision, as there is barely time for lunch. In the quiet, however I have dreamed 
of a place that is not just putting band-aids on critical issues or covering the 
proverbial backside. I want to see a place that takes all stakeholders into 
consideration, not just the loudest. I want to work in a school that does make 
the decisions based on the norms that were set up ahead of time.
I have been a leader in each campus I have worked, sometimes one of the 
unofficial few with some influence on the appointed ones. I have tried with some 
success to always fight the good fight for the student and parents I serve. But 
I can see now that I have gone about it the hard way. What Judys teaching has 
taught me is how important it is to BE the leader if positive change is to 
occur. I never wanted to be in the spotlight that our principals and 
coordinators find themselves in. However, now I want that role, I yearn to set 
up a program that works from the start, with norms and meetings that have 
purpose and good information. I will start small, within my current position in 
ROP. 
Since we started, I proposed to my administrator a new focus group that will 
bring one counselor from each high school in our district together at my site. 
The purpose is to gather information, promote collaboration and set some goals 
for career education in our district. As far as I know this has never been tried 
without a real administrator directing it. This is sort of an experiment that 
could go no where, but if the norms can be set up front and a common vision can 
be found, I believe we can make some positive program changes and additions in 
guidance and counseling in OUSD. 
The document I found most helpful was Barths A Personal Vision of a Good 
School. Perhaps because it seemed the most down-to-earth and parallels my 
thoughts that I am not able to scribe myself. One phrase has continued to repeat 
over and over in my head over the past month, The only difference between a rut 
and a grave is the depth of the hole. I really have felt that in my bones 
recently. I was in a rut, but feel a new excitement and joy at working in 
education. I am proud of my experiences and the wisdom that led me here. My 
colleagues have seen a difference, I hope. My vision is clear. Although it may 
not match the overall statement my district and the current board share, it is 
one that I am eager to see come to fruition in my little corner of Orange.


 


 